Independent Researcher, Gendered Violence

Internet Sperm Donors and Sexual Violence Poster Campaign

The Sperm Donor Abuse Foundation is running a poster campaign to highlight the issue of sexual violence perpetrated by men using Internet sperm donor websites.

Sadly, the online sperm donor community is characterised by a profound rape culture where many men believe it is acceptable to rape or to sexually assault women during the ‘donation process.’ Such violence, however, is not confined to conception; women are also being sexually abused during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

The thing about cyber life is that sperm donors often use numerous aliases – both male and female – to conceal their true identity. This ultimately means thatit can be most difficult to obtain an accurate account of their character and whether they are safe to have a child with. It is imperative for women to remember also that just because some women had a good experience with a man they met via an Internet sperm donor website does not translate into the next woman having a similar experience. Sperm donors do not sexually assault or rape every women they meet; they are selective and tend to target victims carefully.

Teenage girls and young women are particularly vulnerable to the abuse committed by men using Internet sperm donor websites, and not least since the online/offline male culture blurs the lines betweenconsensual and non-consensual sex.

The bottom line is that without consent, it is either sexual assault or rape.